North London/South London divide

[LuckyAmy1986]

I have always lived South of the river and love it, although it's true you do have to cross for a lot of the good stuff! However, colleagues who live North of the river are quite down on the South and how dull it is, how far away from everything etc etc. Do other people have a clear favourite? Is there actually a real divide? Btw, I know this is totally mindless chat, it was just on my mind!

I live opposite one and keep being dragged there every other day by my friends ;-)

But maybe that how best to characterize today's London and its areas - does it have a Gail's or not (or even more importantly - would most of the people living in a particular area wish for one ;-)

Unfortunately many people I know who were born in London have moved away as they can’t afford to buy similar properties as their working class parents could

While it’s great many parts of London look nicer, have more cafes, restaurants, bars, independent shops it’s wrong that so many working class people have to move out

And yes being a born and bred Londoner I do get a bit pissed off with non Londoners wittering on how wonderful Peckham/Brixton/Streatham is now. What now few locals can afford to life there

Basically large areas of London have become middle class villages it’s a form of social cleansing that really should not be happening

thank you @Chicchicchicchiclana

Depends where doesn't it?

Friend raves about South London but they've lived in East Dulwich, Brockley and Blackheath (all very naice areas)...

Plus almost all of us (immigrants mostly) have kids in private schools and there are more private schools in NW.

I’d be very surprised if that’s the case.

Purely anecdotal but SL seems to have lots of people born & raised here but everyone I've met from NL is from somewhere else.
Nonsense. Most of the people I know in NL who are from other countries don't try to integrate and genuinely believe there isn't a local population. There is, they just need to try harder, as I keep telling them! They treat me like a Londoner pet. DH was born in NW3 where we live, went to school up the road and we know lots of locals who are the same as well as our many lovely friends from elsewhere.

Basically large areas of London have become middle class villages it’s a form of social cleansing that really should not be happening

I agree with this. I was lucky that my parents could help me on the ladder in my 20s & I could live at home paying a small rent otherwise I would have been priced out. You can't even rely on a good job these days because that's not enough & you can't make the historic equity either.
My neighbours definitely exceed my household income (surgeon & midwife) however they are paying more than 4 times my mortgage in rent.

Clearly I should have put anecdotal in bold!

@ItsAlwaysSunnyOnMN - exactly! In fact London has become a lot more homogeneous and its more likely be a question of do you both earn a six-figure salary or not.

When we were looking for a house I basically set an all London alert for my price range etc - because that makes the biggest difference nowadays and I was raised in London but dont earn a six-figure sum so dont get to choose North or South. Most of my born and bred London friends on average salaries (professionals but not earning six-figures) moved out the minute they had kids as couldnt afford it.

North or South is not a choice that most Londoners have the privilege to make nowadays. Thats a conversation between the extremely well to do folk and by that point it frankly makes little difference whether the dinner party is being held in Balham, WImbledon, Highgate, Hammersmith or anywhere else

I regret not moving to Putney, Teddington or Twickenham. That's where I really should have gone to but I wasn't to know that in 1996 when I plumped for the area I now live in.

I’m not from London but I’ve been here or around for 20 years. I’ve lived in Paddington, Clapham, Croydon and Wimbledon. I’ve worked in Notting Hill, Streatham, West Brompton and Colindale. The fact that N Londoners are so supercilious would make me favour the south. The south also produced Dave Santan which seals the deal for me.

I regret going to uni (late 90s/early 00s). I should have sacked that off & bought a house with an interest only mortgage with a 5% deposit. I'd be in a 2m house now without any student loans 😆

In the late 90s a family friend sold a house for 1m in Wim village. They had been there like 40 yrs & I remember thinking that was so much money. It later sold for 7m, crazy!

@wombledown and honestly why would anyone pay that much for Wimbledon village - it's miles from the tube, not much there ................. and just dull.

I would have regretted somewhere like Putney that was always sort of ok but nothing special but you could have made lots of money on a house there buying at the right time

I was raised in London but dont earn a six-figure sum so dont get to choose North or South.

Is this just referring to zones 1-3? Plenty of people who don’t earn 6 figures just live in outer London (talking about lower paid professional jobs not NMW).

Wimbledon village is less than a mile to the tube.

@newsheadlines

Wim Village is within walking distance of the station (with tube, trains and trams). It also offers the unique combination of designer gear and horse shit.

@newsheadlines the 1m or the 7m price tag?

Well the houses are very big with good size gardens & off street parking which do appeal to me in my small terrace with no off street parking & tiny garden! 😆

I guess the people paying 7m don't commute by tube!

That bloody hill up to the Village feels long though!

the 7m price tag....i get the 1m one.

But it's a long time standing thing with me - I've always found the village super dull but then I found the Common dull and I grew up opposite. Wimbledon proper is way more fun but I know that's just me

@wombledown

That bloody hill up to the Village feels long though!

Take a bus up the hill .

Walking down it takes no time at all.

@newsheadlines can’t work out if you’re bitter or jealous. It’s one of them though

@JoJoSM2 well walking distance is stretching it a bit and it's got this weird thing it's like a village and is actually quite far away from stuff but not actually a village so disappointing on both fronts

I like popping to Wim Village for shops. The common is huge but there are more charming green spaces elsewhere.

I do kind of know what @newsheadlines means. I went to school in Wimbledon so spent many a day & evening there & have fond memories.

@LittleBearPad - neither grew up next to it and always wanted to live next to Putney exchange or Centre Court. But I love a busy and hectic high street and a proper urban environment.

So yeah just never got the fascination of a place that personally i wanted to run away from as a kid